Ashtree Primary School
Encyclopedia
Ashtree Primary School is a large primary school in Stevenage
, Hertfordshire
. It is overseen by the Hertfordshire local education authority
.
, Stevenage. The area had been designated a new town in 1946, and construction had started in Shephall in 1953 http://www.stevenage.g-br.com/history/history02.html.
The school found itself struggling academically in the mid-1990s. It received a strongly negative Ofsted
evaluation in 1997, but substantial improvements were reported in 1999 and thereafter. http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/reports/117/117352.pdf Throughout the early 2000s, its test scores tracked consistently above the national average for England, although slightly below those for the Hertfordshire LEA http://www.dfes.gov.uk/cgi-bin/performancetables/dfepx1_03.pl?School=9192451. In Key Stage
2 test results for 2004, its students received a mean score of 26.9 http://www.hertsdirect.org/infobase/docs/pdfstore/averagepointstevenage.pdf.
http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/reports/117/117352.pdf.
According to the 2001 Ofsted report, roughly 19% of the student body have "been identified as having special educational needs." These needs are addressed by a three-member faculty team.
An additional 2% of students are
English language learners
. The 2001 report found that the school was not doing enough to address the needs of these non-native English speakers.
, netball
, and hockey
. Other activities include cross-stitch, dance, and choir. In addition, there is a student council to which two students from each class are elected.
Stevenage
Stevenage is a town and borough in Hertfordshire, England. It is situated to the east of junctions 7 and 8 of the A1, and is between Letchworth Garden City to the north, and Welwyn Garden City to the south....
, Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
. It is overseen by the Hertfordshire local education authority
Local Education Authority
A local education authority is a local authority in England and Wales that has responsibility for education within its jurisdiction...
.
History
Ashtree Primary School was built in 1958 due to a rush of Londoners to Britain's first new townNew town
A new town is a specific type of a planned community, or planned city, that was carefully planned from its inception and is typically constructed in a previously undeveloped area. This contrasts with settlements that evolve in a more ad hoc fashion. Land use conflicts are uncommon in new...
, Stevenage. The area had been designated a new town in 1946, and construction had started in Shephall in 1953 http://www.stevenage.g-br.com/history/history02.html.
The school found itself struggling academically in the mid-1990s. It received a strongly negative Ofsted
Ofsted
The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills is the non-ministerial government department of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools In England ....
evaluation in 1997, but substantial improvements were reported in 1999 and thereafter. http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/reports/117/117352.pdf Throughout the early 2000s, its test scores tracked consistently above the national average for England, although slightly below those for the Hertfordshire LEA http://www.dfes.gov.uk/cgi-bin/performancetables/dfepx1_03.pl?School=9192451. In Key Stage
Key Stage
A Key Stage is a stage of the state education system in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the British Territory of Gibraltar setting the educational knowledge expected of students at various ages...
2 test results for 2004, its students received a mean score of 26.9 http://www.hertsdirect.org/infobase/docs/pdfstore/averagepointstevenage.pdf.
Students
The school had 403 students enrolled in January 2004, making it the largest primary school in South Stevenage http://www.hertsdirect.org/infobase/docs/pdfstore/schoolrolls.pdf. This includes 55 students who study in the attached nurseryNursery school
A nursery school is a school for children between the ages of one and five years, staffed by suitably qualified and other professionals who encourage and supervise educational play rather than simply providing childcare...
http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/reports/117/117352.pdf.
According to the 2001 Ofsted report, roughly 19% of the student body have "been identified as having special educational needs." These needs are addressed by a three-member faculty team.
An additional 2% of students are
English language learners
English language learning and teaching
English as a second language , English for speakers of other languages and English as a foreign language all refer to the use or study of English by speakers with different native languages. The precise usage, including the different use of the terms ESL and ESOL in different countries, is...
. The 2001 report found that the school was not doing enough to address the needs of these non-native English speakers.
Extracurricular activities
A variety of clubs meet throughout the week. Sports include footballFootball (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
, netball
Netball
Netball is a ball sport played between two teams of seven players. Its development, derived from early versions of basketball, began in England in the 1890s. By 1960 international playing rules had been standardised for the game, and the International Federation of Netball and Women's Basketball ...
, and hockey
Field hockey
Field Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks...
. Other activities include cross-stitch, dance, and choir. In addition, there is a student council to which two students from each class are elected.